From The East to the West
by The Immortal Priestess
Summary: Ren thought she was just a typical New Yorker until a strange incident lands her into a whole new world. In order to survive she must team up with the Sanzo Ikkou while trying to figure out why and who brought her there, for all is not as it seems to be.
1. Prologue: This Way A Change Comes

**Author's Note: **Yeah, my friend insists I must keep writing while recovering all my lost data by suggesting-cough- that I write this. Guess it won't be too hard, as I happen to love Saiyuki. Sanzo is my favorite, followed by Goku! Sadly, I haven't read the manga but I do have the box sets of Saiyuki and Saiyuki Reload. Need to re-watch them in their entirety, as it's been some time.

**Warning**: Though this is rated teen, this story will contain language simply because-as any true Saiyuki fan will know and pardon- the guys swear. A LOT! I might use stars to edit out the worse words, but you are on your own for the lesser ones. 'Sides, I've heard kids use their kind of language before so I think the teen rating is safe for this.

_**Prologue: This Way a Change Comes**_

_**(15 Years Ago…)**_

Kouryuu looked up at his master, wondering why the older man had suddenly picked them both up and brought them here. It was an old temple, buried deep in the woods with absolutely no one around. But somehow…somehow….the temple was well kept. Yes, the trees and plants were wild but beautiful in their own way.

He was about to ask when he noticed movement off to their side. Turning his head, he saw a woman standing there but she was turned away from them, like she was watching something they couldn't see. The woman herself wasn't very tall, in fact she seemed very petite like a glass doll. Long dark hair cascaded down her back, contrasting sharply from her pale skin. She turned to look at them with dark blue eyes while running her hands up and down her jean clad thighs, as if to wipe them clean of something.

A bright smile broke over his master Koumyou's face, one he had never seen before. "Devi-chan!" He called. "I was worried you would not make it for a while." The woman smiled at them as Kouryuu looked at her in suspicion, gaining her attention.

"Ah Koumyou, this must be Kouryuu right? Your prized pupil?" She asked softly, her gaze breaking only to look at whatever she had been staring at before briefly then switching back to him. "I've heard much about you." Her voice was smooth like the flowing of a stream.

"Mommy! Look what I found!" Someone ran into Devi's legs and wrapped tiny arms around them, grinning up at her. Devi quietly reached down and ruffled the equally dark hair of the little girl in dusty clothes and even if she hadn't of spoken, no one would doubt that the little girl was her daughter.

_That must have been what she was watching. _Kouryuu thought blandly, looking over at the little girl. A good part of him wasn't sure how to react, he had never been around children his own age before, even if he was convinced she was a few years younger then himself. He looked up at his master and noticed the almost sad look that had crossed the older man's face as he gazed at the little girl.

"This must be little Ren?" Koumyou asked, adopting his familiar smile and attracting said girl's attention. She scooted a little closer to her mother, tugging at her jeans even as the woman nodded.

"Who are they mommy?" Ren whispered.

"This is my dear friend Koumyou," Said man flinched, "and his prized pupil Kouryuu." Devi ruffled Ren's hair again. "Why don't you go explore some more?" Ren grinned and raced over into the wild garden, quickly disappearing into the green leaves that accented brightly colored flowers.

"Kouryuu, why don't you go and join her? Devi-chan and I must speak alone." Looking up in shock at his master, he barely registered the light push in the direction Ren had disappeared in. He had never really talked to anyone his own age and now his master wanted him to try and play with another child? He had decided that maybe this was all a weird dream as he slowly made his way through the plants.

A humming caught his attention and he followed it, finding the raven haired girl skipping stones across a small pond. She looked back and grinned at him before turning back to her game. He fidgeted lightly as he stood beside her and watched, unsure of what the point of her little game was.

"You want to try?" Kouryuu snapped his gaze down to Ren, shifting his eyes down next to her hand full of little pebbles. He slowly reached over and took on of the stones, glancing at the pond then mimicking how she had thrown hers. It skipped across the pond and landed on the other shore. "Wow! You have a good arm!" He fought back the blush at the compliment.

"What is the point of this?"

"I think it depends on how you look at it, or so mommy says." Ren said as she tried again, it skipped five times before sinking. "The point is to see how far you can get the stone to skip and then try to beat your own score. Mommy says it's a challenge to push one to better oneself."

That made sense. "Where are you from Ren-san?" She looked mildly confused at the honorific but shrugged it off.

"New York."

"Where?"

"New York!"

He sighed. "I have never heard of this New York." He felt the urge to squirm again at the awkwardness. "Why are you and your mother here?"

"Mommy said that she needed to talk to a friend, the only one she could trust. That's all she told me."

_It's seems we are both being kept in the dark then. _Kouryuu relaxed then and sat down, Ren following his example. "Hey Kouryuu?" She asked then quietly, only struggling on his name a little.

"Yes?"

"Will you be my friend?"

He froze. He had never really had a friend before, unless he counted his master. But, would it hurt? "Alright." With a squeal she tackled him in an enormous hug.

_**(Present Day)**_

Sanzo sat up quickly, gasping for breath. He hadn't dreamt of the little girl from the strange temple in a very long time, not since before his master had died. He hardly remembered anything about her anymore, except that she had been quite small and very full of life. She had been his first and, if he thought about it, only friend.

He had only been eight when they had met and for two years they saw each other at that temple every few months while his master and her mother talked. At ten, the visits had suddenly stopped. He had gone to question his master Koumyou about it and the man had looked so sad, it had nearly broken his heart. Looking back on it now, he realized that the two females must be dead, how else could he explain it?

_Just another precious person I failed to protect… That is why I cannot let anyone else get close… Why I can't care about anyone… In the end, I just loose them._

_**(In The Heavens)**_

It wasn't everyday one would find the Merciful Goddess Kanzeon almost giddy and practically bouncing around. Really, it was beginning to freak the other gods and goddesses out. Even her assistant was wondering if he should apply for a vacation early.

Gazing into the pool before her throne, she watched the newest events unfold. _About time. _She thought. _It has only caused us a lot of problems in the past, but this should set a good number of them right again. You who was born to the wrong world, it's time to come home now._

The water rippled.

_This will be fun._

_**(Back below the Heavens)**_

Sanzo looked up from reading the paper, a frown marring his face. He didn't even notice as Goku and Gojyo fought over the food while Hakkai tried to sooth over the situation.

What was that he had just felt?

Quietly he took out a cigarette and lit it, allowing the nicotine to help his thoughts. He had felt many power bursts in his time, he was a Sanzo priest after all, but this one had been different. It wasn't demonic at all, it was the power of something he had never come across before.

Glancing over, he noted that none of his companions had noticed it. He doubted the fighting would have been enough to keep them from feeling it, especially Hakkai. Drumming his fingers on the table, he tried to pinpoint exactly where it had come from while wrestling his curiosity back.

Whatever it was, it was right in their path. Flicking the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray, Sanzo made a mental note to check out the area the signature burst had come from.

Otherwise his damn curiosity wouldn't let him sleep for days. And that would piss him off.

_To Be Continued…_

AN: Yeehaw! What did I tell you, short short short! Ah well, next chapter will make up for it. Do I have you curious now? My friend said she was impressed with the fact I could come up with the whole plot on my own so quickly (it just took helluva long time to write though), when all she wanted(and asked for) was a Saiyuki fanfic. I don't know, maybe I read too much?


	2. Dorothy's Got Nothing On Me!

**Author's Note**: Good news for my Eragon fic, I managed to finish the character designs. Now all I have to do is go back to research all my notes again and then write out the next chapters. Urgh, I'm dreading the research part already and the sheer amount of time it will take. Guess break time will include a lot of watching Saiyuki again. Let's get to the story again!

**Warning: **Language and the guys' dirty mouths! Don't like it or too goody-goody to tolerate it? Then I suggest you leave. As for my fellow, true Saiyuki fans please ignore this. You already knew what would happen without the warning, which I will not be doing anymore.

_**Chapter One: Dorothy's Got Nothing On Me!**_

New York City was running as usual, traffic and tourists and natives just trying to get to work. For any true dweller of the city, they would be able to tell this was a grand day. The wind was blowing just enough to carry away most of the pollutants and give the air just a hint of freshness. The sky was blue and clear with a bright sun beating down onto the tall skyscrapers and anything else that was built around them.

It was on days like this that one would usually find Ren Darin sitting in Central Park, sketching anything that caught her fancy. That was when she wasn't busy with her martial arts classes, her second hobby. Who was she to complain, it was easier to keep a slimmer figure that way and made her feel like she wasn't completely defenseless! Those two things were about the only things she was really good at, except for taking care of her widowed father who buried himself in work way too often. Ren didn't fault him that, he was a novelist with many bestsellers so they lived comfortably and after all, he had begged her not to move out again. So at twenty-one she was once again living at home and she didn't mind one damn bit. College was more then enough to worry about without having to worry about keeping a roof over her head either. It was summer break though, so she was very much taking advantage of it. And the weather was great, not too hot or cold!

That was why she was currently heading there, having been delayed by mailing some bills before they were late. Grumbling to herself, Ren continued on as she ignored some guys catcalling her from their car as they drove by. Though it didn't happen often, she refused to be bothered by such vulgar men. Besides, her mind was else where. Hard to believe for her that it had already been months since… She shook her head, no need to dredge up bad memories…

If one looked at her they would see a rather petite female with a nice figure, pale skin, dark hair and storm colored eyes. Today she was wearing a white wife beater with a brown vest (also sleeveless) over it. Finishing the outfit were simple blue jeans and black knee high boots. Summer yes, but no need to have bugs crawling up her shorts either. Slung on her back was a medium sized backpack that contained some of her most precious possessions and a few she probably shouldn't have. First was her iPod and its wall adapter, plus the mini speaker she could use. Next was her latest sketchbook with her pens and pencils she used to draw. Buried deep in the bag and hidden by an extra t-shirt was her handgun, something more New Yorkers carried then anyone wanted to admit. It was a Px4 Storm type C Beretta, completely black with a full clip. Once or twice she had nearly been forced to use it, both times with some stranger following her much too closely for her comfort, once again reminding her of events she would much rather forget. The rest of the contents were random, like her favorite candies for her vicious sweet tooth, and sometimes hardly used, like that mini flashlight. She wasn't stupid enough to go somewhere dark enough where she would need it after all.

Ren paused when she reached one of the gates that led into Central Park, slightly alarmed by the sudden feeling of apprehension that seized a hold of her. For the sun being out, the park looked much darker then any other day. "Must be my mind playing tricks on me." She whispered, pulling at the strap of her back pack to hitch it higher while keeping a firm hold on it. Maybe it had to do with that reoccurring nightmare she suffered from every once and a while? Not like she'd know, she never remembered anything but darkness when she awoke like so many of her dreams. The only little facts from them that stuck around where of a strange temple and a boy.

The park was eerily silent, almost devoid of life. No people. No birds. No sounds except the sound of her own footsteps. Ren wondered if maybe she was suffering a nightmare and was really at home still asleep in her cozy bed with her dad humming some strange tune while he fixed coffee.

_Okay, I am officially creeped out now. _She thought, slowing her steps and preparing to turn back to the exit. She froze when she noticed that she could see her breath even though it was summer. "Shit." The curse broke free just as she decided to run, run away from whatever was going on.

Noise exploded around her, a maniacal laughter echoing all around. "_Come here little rabbit!" _Ren made a break for the gate. "_Don't think you can get away! With your powers, I can just find you all over again!_"Whatever it was laughed even louder now.

The air behind her dropped in temperature even more and she felt something slimy touch her arms. Looking back, she felt a scream rip from her throat as the disembodied arms grabbed her and dragged her towards a spiraling shadow. "_Come now puppet, don't struggle! I'm only taking you home!_"

The air was thin inside whatever that shadow was and Ren was sure she was choking. Desperate to get away from the disgusting appendages that held her prisoner (and that she swore were coping feels), she struggled with all her might. She thrust her elbow back and knocked one of the hands off her so she continued to flail until she realized she was falling. "_NO! Curse you! I'll find you no matter where you hide!_"

It wasn't dark anymore and she was able to breath, but that wasn't her biggest concern. She let out a startled cry as she was released clear in the air. Ren gasped as she fell into the branches of the trees, hoping that the cracking she was hearing was from them and not her ribs. The breath was knocked out of her when she finally reached the ground, where she lay for several minutes trying to get air back into her lungs.

Ren rolled over and pushed herself to her feet, grunting when her bag slipped and hit her in her very sore side. Looking around, she paled. This was by no mean Central Park.

Freaked out beyond belief, the scared twenty-one year old picked a direction and began walking so those disgusting hands wouldn't come back. She ached all over and her wrists itched but she continued, wondering where the hell she could have been.

Suddenly, someone burst out from the underbrush and Ren couldn't help but stare in horror. It looked like some kind of deformed human, its' features rough and brutish. "I'm…hungry…" Then it lunged. Letting out a scream, Ren tossed her bag aside and aimed a punch that sent the thing stumbling. "What the hell is this thing?" She asked when it straightened and came after her again.

Her wrists were really itching as she cocked back her fist and hit the deformed being in his nose. What she hadn't been expecting was him to start screaming and hold his face which was…burning?

"The fu-" Ren felt the words leave her as the man continued to writhe around in pain as he slowly disintegrated. "What the hell just happened?" She whispered as she looked at the now empty spot before her, her bag forgotten on the sidelines.

**(At Hotou Castle)**

Kougaiji wasn't quite sure why he had been summoned, but he could tell that woman was in a bad mood by her shouting. He paused just outside the door and listened as she ranted and generally threw a hissy fit. "What do you mean the sacrifice got away?!"

That caught his attention. "Don't you understand?! We need that girl for the resurrection ceremony! She's the only way we can proceed without all the scriptures!"

He decided to make his presence known then, if only to save his demon brothers from her wrath. "You called for me?"

"Yes, I have a new assignment for you." Gyukumen Koushou said in her sickly, sweet voice. "I need you to find this girl and bring her here." She tossed him a picture, no doubt made with that science she was always talking about with Dr. Ni.

_For a human she is actually somewhat pretty. _Kougaiji reluctantly admitted. "I'm sure you are wondering why we need this mortal, aren't you?" _No, as I already have the answer but you'll tell me anyway._

"Dr. Ni here discovered something very interesting. Would you like to explain?" Kougaiji turned to glare at the perverted doctor.

"Ah yes, you see it is really quite simple. A while ago I was experimenting and testing some theories when I stumbled across something quite extraordinary! A whole new world filled with wonders beyond our imagination where demons and magic are thought to be legend. It was there I found that girl, filled to the brim with magic she does not even know of! I managed to obtain a sample without her knowledge, do you want to know what I discovered about it?" Kougaiji glared harder.

"But of course you do. Her magic is holy in nature, I'm sure you can figure out the rest?"

"She has enough magic that if directed by one of the scriptures it can release my beloved Gyumoah. So bring her here alive, understand?" The smirk on her lips sickened him.

"Yes, I'll be going now." Flipping the picture over as he walked out, he read her name. _You have some pretty bad luck Ren Darin._

**(In The Forest Where Ren Escaped)**

Ren cursed under her breath as she walked along, getting more and more lost by the minute. It didn't help that every few minutes some odd creature would pop out and give her a minor heart attack, thus driving home the point that this was most certainly not New York even further. _I'm going to die out here and no one will find the body…_

Just then she stumbled into a clearing.

A clearing with a table full of food and two places set. _What the hell? Am I in Narnia or something? _She stared for a second until she realized that someone was sitting at one of the places and a person, almost like an attendant, was standing next to the other person.

The woman who was sitting gestured for her to take the other seat. "I've been waiting for you Ren Darin, the girl born in the wrong world." She smiled.

"Who are you?" Ren asked, hesitant to take the seat.

Raising a hand, the woman silenced her attendant before he could speak. "I am the Merciful Goddess Kanzeon, I have been watching over you for quite some time."

Carefully, the lost woman took a seat and looked at all the food. _That's a goddess? Well, might as well believe her with all the crazy shit happening today. _"Eat up, you'll need your strength. I'll explain some things to you while you do so." Nodding, Ren loaded her plate and began to eat as the goddess leaned back in her chair. "Now where to start."

"I'm sure you've noticed that you are no longer in the place you call home, New York was it?" Ren nodded again. "Well, you are now in a place called Shangri La(1). Here, humans live along side demons or well, they used to. A disturbance has made the demons behave strangely and turn against the humans, that was why you were attacked by one earlier."

"That was a demon?"

"Yes, he took off his power limiters and turned against the natural order, good thing you dusted him."

"Dusted him?"

"You purified him is more the correct term. Hmmm, how to put it into a phrase to help you imagine it better." Ren slowly chewed on her food as she watched Kanzeon debate and mumble to herself. "Okay. Look at it this way, you are lethal to them, all the more if they have taken off their limiters. Your power is holy while theirs is dark in nature, understand so far?"

"So I'm their opposite then? Yeah, I understand."

Kanzeon full out grinned now. "So, to them you would be a bug zapper. Or maybe it would be like taking a bath with a toaster. But you get the picture, right?"

"Pretty much but…why do you say I was born in the wrong world?"

"Because you were meant to be born in this world sweetie. Someone was messing with magic some time ago and it had adverse effects, thankfully we kept it under wraps enough that it didn't do too much damage. Now that you are back in this world, the power that has always been with you has started to awaken. It'll take some training for you to use it to its full measure but I've already decided who will be helping you."

_Something tells me that whoever or whatever it is that will be helping me has absolutely no idea about it… _Ren thought.

"Alright then! Now to get you ready for your trip!" She gestured at her attendant who carried over two boxes and set them before Ren. Shifting nervously, she opened one what looked like three folded coats, an amulet and what looked like a decorative handle to a sword but without the guards. Carefully she picked it up and shot the goddess a questioning look.

"Ah, the spirit weapons of the Exorcists are quite strange aren't they?"

"Exorcists?"

"It's what you are dear. The first in over two decades to be exact!" Kanzeon gave a sad smile. "It's good to see that they can make a return."

"What happened to them exactly?" Ren asked quietly.

"Murdered. First you must understand, true Exorcists are born and not taught. There were many clans and they stood for hope, the light at the end of the long dark tunnel of despair. Then twenty-five years ago, something managed to wipe out the clans in only three nights. It seems your mother managed to survive the massacre and flee to a completely different world."

Ren jumped up in shock, her eyes wide. "My mother?!"

"Yes, Devi was an Exorcist and a damn good one. Clever too, to choose not to hunt for revenge but to try and start over. As I said, Exorcists are born Ren so one of your parents would have had to been one. Now, back to that weapon." Kanzeon gestured at the silver handle still in her hand. "Your people called them channelers. It's quite simple, if you push your spiritual energy into it, it can take the form of anything you want. Be it a sword, a spear or it can even fire off blasts like a gun."

"I don't know how…" Ren trailed off, embarrassed that she didn't know how to use her supposed spiritual energy. Hell, she didn't even know she had had any a few hours earlier!

"Don't worry about that, your instincts will guild you. Never doubt the whispers in your mind or on the wind." Kanzeon stood and placed the amulet around Ren's neck, who took a moment to lift it for examination. It appeared to be a silver dragon, spinning in a circle with its nose and the tip of its tailing meeting. In the center, clutched by it's claws was a gem reminiscent to the moon. "Do not take that off unless you have no other choice, it is hiding you from the ones who seek you. You have many enemies now Ren."

Ren absently scratched at her wrist but squeaked in surprise when the Merciful Goddess grabbed her hands to turn them around. "Ah good, here they are." Looking down, she gaped now at the symbols on her wrists. "These are the markings of an Exorcist, and can serve as another weapon should you ever be disarmed. Now, onto your others gifts. We're running out of time."

Kanzeon waved a hand at the opened box to the three coats; red, white and black respectively. "Those are the official robes of an Exorcist, though I do not recommend wearing them yet if only to avoid detection while you are training. They are enchanted and are better then most armor."

Picking up the last box, she handed it to Ren. First thing the younger woman noticed was that it was warm, and very much moving. Slightly nervous, she opened it and stared at the small creature inside.

"Every Exorcist had a partner, usually chosen from the spirits around them. This is Shamira, she'll accompany you on your journeys."

Ren wasn't sure what exactly Shamira was, but she had to be feline in nature. Simply for one thing, she had never seen a cat look like a leopard that had been shrunk to the size of a housecat and be silver to boot. And her tail was fluffy.

"You best be on your way, you are being hunted even as I speak." Kanzeon held one last thing out to her, which she took.

"A credit card?"

"Trust me, you'll be needing it. Let me see your bag for a second." Ren carefully handed it over and watched the goddess mumble something before handing it back. "There we go."

"Why are you doing all this for me?"

"I want to see you bloom just as I desire to see the Exorcists return. Now you must move along, you are being hunted as I speak. Until we meet again Ren Darrin." Then she was alone in the clearing.

"Quickly, place your possessions into the bag, it'll all fit thanks to the spell Kanzeon-sama placed on it. We must go." Ren started and looked down at the feline in her arms, who was looking up at her with large dark eyes.

"Did you just talk…?"

"Of course I did! What kind of partner would I be if we couldn't even communicate! Now hurry."

Ren groaned as she stuffed the coats or robes or whatever they were into the bag and stuck the channeler into her jeans pocket for easy reach. "This is nuts, this is all nuts!" She complained. "I feel like I just jumped into one of my dad's books!" Glancing around to make sure she didn't leave anything, she turned and began walking in a random direction.

_**(With the Ikkou, a few hours later)**_

Sanzo stood still, allowing his senses to pick up any traces of whatever had caused that surge. The group had already taken out a pack of demons who had also been drawn but whoever or whatever had caused it was long gone.

Off to the side, Hakkai watched as they both ignored the bored squabbling of Gojyo and Goku. "Sanzoooooooooooo, I'm hungry!" Goku whined.

"You're always hungry you stupid monkey!" Gojyo snapped, fighting with his lighter.

"Now now, the next town isn't far." Hakkai said, smiling brightly. "Just let Sanzo finish and we'll be on our way."

"What's the pissy monk doing anyway?" Gojyo asked, mumbling around his now lit cigarette.

"He said he sensed something here and he wanted to check it out." The green eyed youkai said quietly.

"Bullshit! I didn't sense anything!"

"When I asked Sanzo said we didn't for one simple fact: whatever he sensed was holy in nature. We can sense demonic energy Gojyo."

Goku looked confused. "What does it mean then?"

"I'm not sure Goku, but I'm sure Sanzo will tell us if he feels it's dangerous."

Silently, the blonde monk turned and headed back to the group. "Let's go."

"Oi, ya going to tell us what this was all about monk?"

Goku glared. "He'll tell us when he's ready water wimp!"

"Want to say that again chimp?!"

Whack! "Enough! Get in the damn jeep, we need to move!"

Sanzo looked towards the town as they drove. _Whatever that was will be in this town, I can feel it._

_To be continued…_

**AN: **There we go, hopefully things are making some sense. I have to admit, it was hard picking the eye color for Ren. Since she's a New Yorker and thus, from the "real world", I couldn't give her an odd color. If you think about it, there are only green, blue, grey and brown eyes. Hakkai has green eyes so that scratched that idea. Couldn't do brown because that's MY eye color and I NEVER give my original characters any of my physical traits. So that left me with blue and grey, so I went the middle road and picked storm as its like a mix of the two. Hmm, bet your wondering when Ren and Sanzo are going meet face to face again. Good question, another would be if they would even recognize each other. That you will have to stay tuned for.

(1) I'm calling the Saiyuki world Shangri La. Why? Because it's easier to spell and remember! No seriously, I can't remember what it was called in the manga at all so... I'm improvising.


	3. Beauty and the EW! What is that!

**Author's Note: **Woah, sorry this took a few days! I had extra hours at work I had to take care of, and in my world work and writing don't always coexist. Anyway, let's get on with the story shall we?

_**Chapter Two: Beauty and the-EW! What is that?!**_

Ren had resigned herself to the fact that this was most certainly not a dream. Or a nightmare. No, the pain was very real and she was not going to miraculously wake up safe at home. She grimaced as she poked at one of the bandages on her arm, a testament from her journey to this town. A few hours ago, sometime in the afternoon, she had managed to stumble into the town's square, where the owner of the inn had seen her. She was an elderly woman with a massive maternal streak who had ushered Ren into the inn and then sent for a doctor for the injuries she had attained from her fights with demons.

_I was ambushed at least three times… _Ren complained in her mind. _Seriously, don't they learn? I dusted their friends and they still kept attacking._

She looked down at her left wrist, where the sun symbol of her status as an Exorcist gleamed in the light. Switching her gaze to her other wrist, she gazed at the crescent moon on it. Both appeared to be tattoos in a deep obsidian color, but she knew the truth. Thankfully during her patch up the doctor didn't need to look at her wrists and thus hadn't seen them, she wasn't sure of how he would have reacted.

Shamira watched her from her perch on the windowsill, where she was currently sunbathing. This is where her feline partner had taken residence since they had arrived, even when Ren had fled the room and wandered around town. Sometimes she wondered if the little creature was testing or judging her in some way.

Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time, Ren got to her feet and went to the other window. It was beginning to grow dark now and she knew the motherly innkeeper would come to tell her that she needed to eat to heal up faster. She absently rubbed at the bandages about her right elbow as she watched a small group of four enter the inn. She squinted, but couldn't make out their features as her window was facing west and thus she had the sun in her face.

A knock at the door interrupted her some time later. "Sweetie? We are serving dinner now if you'd care to eat."

"I'll be right down." Ren called back. After all, she owed the woman a lot right now. Not only for the doctor but for the shelter too. Returning to the bed she rooted through the clothes she had bought after her "doctor's visit" and changed into something better then her spare A.F.I t-shirt that usually hid the gun in her bag. She pulled on a rather nice black tank and a pair of dark jeans she had found in one of the shops.

Turning back, she looked over at Shamira. "Want anything?"

"Some milk and steak would be nice. Possibly fish."

Ren smiled. "I'll see what I can do, I might have to sneak it back." As an afterthought, she tucked her channeler into a special strap she had gotten for her boot when she had been out shopping. At least she would be prepared.

_**(Downstairs in the inn's restaurant)**_

"I want this for dessert! Oh oh and this! And-"

"Shut up!" Sanzo snapped as he smacked Goku over the head, irritated. He was certain, whatever had caused that power burst was in this town. But where? Something was blocking him from directly pinpointing it and that was royally pissing him off.

Gojyo huffed across from him. "At least the food will be good. I don't see a single looker in this joint." He lit a cigarette and continued to gaze around the room for tonight's score. He was not passing up the opportunity as they had managed to get four singles this time.

Goku looked up. "Whoever you end up finding, I'll be sure to pity her. You probably have germs."

"What was that ya stupid chimp?!"

Hakkai immediately intercepted the fight, seeing the dangerous twitch of Sanzo's eyebrow. "Now now, let's not fight over the table. Look! Here comes some of the food now."

"Yay!" Goku cheered as he eagerly dug in.

"At least one of us is happy-whoa! Hold that thought!" Gojyo said as his eyes focused on the steps. A single girl had come down and was talking quietly with the innkeeper, who led her over to a table by the fireplace. Upon closer inspection to see if she met his standards, he noticed something much more disturbing. Her arms were littered with bandages and she even had one of the side of her neck and another above her right eyebrow. She looked like she had been through hell. "Wonder what happened to her…" He muttered aloud, gaining the attention of his companions.

"Who?" Goku asked, looking around.

"Over there, by the fireplace." Gojyo added before looking at Hakkai. "No way that was caused by an accident."

The group's resident healer had a frown marring his handsome face. "Indeed. The positions of those injuries indicate defensive maneuvers against deadly intent. The way the matron is doting on her also lends to that theory."

Sanzo finally looked over himself and was struck with a strong sense of familiarity that almost made him swallow his cigarette. He felt he knew her, but he also knew he hadn't seen her before. Had he?

Ren shifted nervously across the room from the staring group, though she didn't know she was the target of the gazes. She hated it when she got the feeling she was being watched, but who didn't? The innkeeper had made sure to set out a healthy array of food, and the dark haired woman wasn't quite sure where to start. So she settled on nibbling on a bit of everything, eating more of the things she favored.

Finally she grew tired of that nagging feeling and looked around, determined to find out who was staring at her. When she saw them, she vaguely wondered if this was the group that had entered earlier when she was looking out her window.

The redhead winked at her with equally red eyes.

The two brunettes looked on with concern, one with innocent gold eyes and the other with sympathetic green.

The blonde, on the other hand, was completely neutral. She had a strange feeling of vertigo when her own eyes made contact with his vivid amethyst eyes. _I know you… _Her mind whispered._ I know you….but how do I know you? _

The world seemed to be shifting then, so Ren spun back in her seat and focused intently on her food. The feeling disappeared as soon as she had broken eye contact.

_**(Later that night)**_

Ren lay on her side, absently petting Shamira on the head. The little feline partner had quite a nice meal, as the young woman had been able to bring up all the things she had wanted.

Ten minutes ago something had awoken her from a sound sleep and now Ren was trying to figure out what it was. A presence, it was a presence that should not have been there. Sitting up, she quickly grabbed her channeler and poked Shamira to wake her up. "Do you feel that?"

The spirit paused for a second then let out a growl. "Yes."

Getting up, Ren quickly pulled on her jeans and boots. She had once again put on her AFI shirt, using it as a nightshirt. This was an emergency so it would do.

Silently slipping into the hall, she made her way towards the presence with Shamira hot on her heels. A series of crashes made her quickly press her back to the wall and slide up to the corner to peer around into the common room. It was the odd group of men she had seen at dinner, surrounded by demons. But the presence she felt was lurking behind them in the shadows.

Just then she noticed a demon sneaking up on the redhead who had winked at her. "Hey watch out!" She cried, leaping out from her hiding spot. Instinct pushed her next move, her channeler changing her energy into a whip that she used to catch the demon's arm in mid swing.

The redhead spun and easily took out the frantically struggling demon with a weapon she had never seen before. He grinned at her. "Thanks doll." He winked again and went back to fighting.

Ren turned and swung again, catching a tall and rather grotesque demon right in the chest. Shamira quickly shifted to the size of a tiger and jumped him, finishing him off with a snarl. Amidst the gunshots and crazy banter, she could still feel that threatening presence. It loomed out of the shadows, still oh so threatening and evil.

One last shot echoed through the air and the room fell into silence as the last demon fell in a swirl of dark energy. Ren fidgeted as her eyes keep running back and forth from the shadows to the men she had just helped.

"Miss, are you alright?" The tall brunette asked.

Her eyes focused on them and she offered a smile. "I'm fine."

"That was cool! How did you do that?" Her gaze switched to the younger member of the group. He was almost shaking in excitement as he eyed her channeler, which had returned to its normal look of being a hilt.

Unsure of how to explain it herself, she just offered a more nervous smile. "It's complicated." Blinking, she realized that she was being rude. "My name is Ren by the way."

"I'm Goku! That's Hakkai, Gojyo and Sanzo." He pointed to the other brunette, the redhead and the blonde respectfully despite their small groans of protest. _I have a feeling he wasn't supposed to do that. _Ren thought as she looked at the boy.

She was just about to answer when the presence decided to explode out of the shadows. Allowing herself to fall backwards, she grunted as her back connected with the floor as what appeared to be as tentacle shot an inch above her nose. Jumping to her feet after it had receded, she choked back a disgusted cry.

Before them was a strange mix between a squid and a horse, head and body respectively as well. Bile rose in her throat but she swallowed it back and activated her channeler again, settling again for the whip.

"Ugh, I HATE calamari(1)…" Ren groaned as Shamira joined her.

"How can you hate calamari?!" Goku demanded, seeming shocked.

"I ate bad calamari once and I had food poisoning for two days. It does NOT taste good the second time."

The monster shifted and they all tensed, ready for its attack. It once again launched it's tentacles and sent them scattering in random directions. Ren stumbled slightly as soon as she landed for it had swung several more at her. She bit back the yelp as she dodged again only to see more heading her way. _It's after me! _Her mind screamed at her as she nearly kissed the floor to get away from another swing.

A pained scream echoed through the room and Ren looked up to see the creature stumbling back as Goku hit it with what looked like a staff to her. She'd have to find out what it was as she watched in amazement as the staff weapon then extended. Taking advantage of the break in the attack, Ren jumped to her feet and reformed the whip. She sent it out to clash against the new volley of tentacles and watched as they seemed to freeze for a few seconds before attacking with renewed strength.

The thing kept attacking, with no signs of it slowing down. _Weak spot, it must have a weak spot! _She searched desperately for one even as Sanzo shot at it and she noted that it dazed it same as her attack.

Then something drew her attention towards the junction of the monster's tentacles, where she knew its mouth no doubt was. During one of its attacks on Hakkai, she noticed the beak. _This thing needs to pick a species and stick with it! Seriously!_ She didn't let her mind wander to how such a creature came to be_. _Then an idea came to her. _That could be its weak spot! Heaven knows we're not getting anywhere with anything else! _Eyeing Sanzo's gun, she began to work out a plan.

"Hey," Ren called softly to catch the blonde's attention, "I think I know how we can beat this…_thing_!"

"And that would be?" He snapped, but she could tell his annoyance was aimed at their current enemy and not her.

"I think it's weakness is it's beak. Your gun and my whip stunned it, maybe if you can manage to shoot it there perhaps that can destroy it from the inside out." She once again summoned up her whip. "I can stun the tentacles for around five seconds, can you get a good shot in then?"

"That's four more seconds then I need." That was as good of a conformation of action that she would ever get.

With a nod, Ren quickly darted forward clear into the fray.

"Ren-san! Don't!" Hakkai called but he froze, clearly realizing her intent. He sent a chi blast to clear her path even more.

She had to wait, wait for it to recall the slimy appendages so that it's beak was exposed. Then she would have to strike fast. _Hell, I hope I don't trip!_

The monster roared in ungodly anger as it withdrew for another attack.

_NOW!!! _Her mind screamed as she swung. The whip and the tentacles clashed in a colorful array of sparks but her plan worked. It was stunned with its beak unprotected. Ren hit the deck then, pressing herself against the hard wood as a single shot rang out into the night.

The thing screamed in complete agony, loud enough that she had to cover her ears. Twisting her neck a little, Ren looked over and watched the thing writhe as lights began to burst from its body. Then it exploded in a swirl of dark energy.

_It worked! _Ren did a mental victory dance as she pushed herself to her feet, wincing slightly at the irritation this fight had caused her wounds.

An arm slung itself around her shoulder and Ren turned her head to look up at its owner. Gojyo grinned at her as he flicked a newly lit cigarette. "Not bad at all girlie."

She wasn't sure if she should take that as a compliment or an insult. "Thanks." She mumbled as she pushed his arm off her, scratching at the bandages as soon as she was free. Instantly a gentle hand stopped her.

Hakkai offered her a kind smile. "That's not good for them. Do you mind if I have a look?" She gave him a skeptical look.

"You're a doctor?"

"I'm a healer, yes."

"But what about-" Just as that bit spilled from her mouth, he gestured at the others. Sanzo was already talking to the innkeeper about the damage while Goku and Gojyo went around straightening what they could from the fight. "Oh."

Ren sat gingerly in a chair as the green-eyed man up wrapped her cuts and slashes. She didn't need to see his pitying look to know that she was a mess. Demon claws were sharp and oh so accurate.

She held her breath in amazement as a green light emitted from his hand that he guided with practiced ease over her injuries. A sigh of relief easily escaped her mouth afterwards as one by one the bothersome wounds healed. Rubbing the spot were one particularly nasty gash was, courteously placed there by a demon, she grinned. "Thanks a lot!"

He blinked then smiled. "It was not a problem Ren-san."

Curiously, she looked at where the monster once was. "Do you know what that was?"

"I'm afraid that is Sanzo's area of expertise, but it was not like the regular demons that we are used to fighting."

Ren nodded. She agreed that that had not been a regular demon.

"_Evil spirit. Summoned." _

She looked around, looking for whoever had spoken. It had been a mere whisper, almost like the wind. She nearly started then, recalling what the Merciful Goddess had said to her. "Never doubt the whispers in your mind or on the wind." She muttered to herself.

"Ren-san?" Hakkai asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Ah, nothing! Just thinking to myself!" He seemed to accept that as the other three walked over to them.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked, quickly engaging Gojyo and Goku in conversation on their latest adversary.

Ren felt eyes on her then and she turned to look at powerful amethyst eyes. Her breath caught as the room seemed to tilt again, the world around her imbalanced. _I know you! But how?! _Something nagged at the back of her mind, something she just couldn't reach no matter how far she stretched for it. It just refused to come.

Willing herself to just breathe, she stammered out a quick goodnight before retreating back to the safety of her room. Away from familiar violet eyes.

_To be continued…_

**AN: **Once again I'd like to apologize at how late this was. Anyway, I have a favor to ask! I know the names of Gojyo's and Goku's weapons but I can't remember the correct spelling. I can pronounce them but I can't seem to spell them! That bites! So if someone would kindly provide me the correct spelling, it would be nice. Good thing Ren doesn't know what they are yet but you can bet she'll ask. Hope you all enjoyed this installment!

(1) Calamari is a dish that is made from squid. You can either eat it in sushi form which is raw or you can have it cooked. I know you can get it fried, simply because I have had it fried before. It's surprisingly good. Thing is, like all food, if its not prepared correctly you can get really sick from it. Like poor Ren.


	4. Seeking the Source

**Author's Note:** I think this is coming along nicely now, don't you? I also managed to find those spellings I needed. That was fun and proved once again that wikipedia is quite a fun tool. Anyway, my friend is enjoying this too. But she's made another request of me. She wants a love triangle as apparently I'm good at them or so she claims. (Secretly, I think I suck at such things. I can never write the emotions right.) I can feel the headache coming on now! So, instead of giving myself brain damage trying to come up with something good, I'll let you guys give me some ideas! Or maybe it'll just stay a request. Now on with the story. You'll also notice that I try to keep the paragraphs small, I don't want to kill your eyes.

_**Chapter Three: Seeking the Source**_

Morning came all too quickly. Ren had stirred right around dawn and had gotten up, knowing she would be unable to go back to sleep. After a nice shower, she had returned to the repaired commons room to seek out the innkeeper. She was starving and she wanted to see if she could get breakfast early.

Thankfully, breakfast was being served to the farmers in the restaurant area and Ren was more then welcome to join. She had just polished off a piece of toast with strawberry jam when she overheard a group of farmers talking at the table next to her.

"I tell you! They're coming clear out of those mountains! Ugly things too!" One complained loudly as he slammed his coffee mug down.

"They just ruined a whole field of mine! At this rate they'll destroy everything!"

"One attacked my son! Nearly tore him to pieces, my wife and I….oh goddess, we thought we were going to loose him…."

"Um, excuse me?" Ren called softly, gaining their attention. "I'm sorry to jump in but what are you talking about?"

The kindly, grandfather like farmers all smiled at her. "Don't apologize there girlie, we were talking right loud." One said, his graying hair pulled back from his wizened face.

"There's these monsters that have been plaguing the area for several weeks now, going around tearing the land up and attacking people. First the demons go sour and now this… We're at wits end!"

Another spoke, this one with a long scar across his chin. "A few people have said that they've seen them going up and down the mountain. Some of us think that they have a nest up there or something but we can't do a damn thing. Those beasts would tear us apart in a heartbeat."

_Evil Spirit. Summoned. _Her mind repeated, remembering what had been whispered to her earlier. _Whoever is summoning those things must be on the mountain. I guess I should go check it out, otherwise I'd be one horrible Exorcist._ She chatted with them through the rest of breakfast, trying to lighten their mood as much as she could.

"Summoners are dangerous Ren, you can't ever take your eyes off them in a fight." Shamira lectured while the young woman gathered what she would take with her. "All they need is a split second to call one of their beasts. The good news is that they are physically weak, that comes from letting their monsters do the fighting for them. Don't give this one a chance to summon anything and strike quickly, that will finish the fight fast. Normally a novice such as yourself would never be sent to take care of a Summoner, but this cannot be helped."

Ren grimaced as she finished lacing up her boots. She had made sure her clothes were simple, consisting of a normal shirt and jeans that were all dark in color. She tucked her channeler into its special strap on her boot before reaching for her gun. Checking to make sure the safety was still on, she quietly tucked it into the back of her jeans. Wincing slightly at how cold it was, she turned and eyed her bag. Shaking her head, she turned away knowing she wasn't ready to wear the robes of an Exorcist yet.

She turned to Shamira. "Ready to go?"

"Of course."

_**(A few hours later with the Ikkou)**_

Sanzo ground his teeth together in irritation as he tried, key word _tried_, to read the morning newspaper. Gojyo and Goku never failed to bicker over a meal, he couldn't remember the last time he had actually had a meal in silence. It also didn't help that Hakkai kept shooting worried glances at the stairs.

He wasn't a fool, he knew the healer was waiting for the girl from last night to come down so he could check on her. He vaguely remembered that her name was Ren and he even admitted that she had some skill with that weapon of hers. And she was late coming down to breakfast.

With a quick swat from his harisen he silenced the bickering duo as Hakkai beckoned the kindly innkeeper over. He was just in the middle of yelling at them for their stupidity when he actually heard the healer gasp. "Are you sure?" He asked quietly, and Sanzo refocused his attention briefly.

Hakkai thanked the woman and turned back around, looking slightly pale and very worried.

"What's wrong, 'Kai?" Gojyo asked.

"It seems Ren-san had gone to investigate the source of that monster that we fought last night."

Gojyo jumped to his feet. "Are you serious?! That chick must be nuts!"

Goku had been silent until then and when he spoke, his voice sounded uncertain. "There's something…about her…." He now had three sets of eyes on him.

"What do you mean Goku?" Hakkai asked.

"She smelled different…like nothing I've ever smelled before… And for a few seconds last night, when she jumped into the fray like that…" He paused, clearly looking for a way to describe it. "She gave off this light that reminded me of Sanzo."

"Yes, it seems that her powers were holy in nature." Hakkai added, looking thoughtful.

Sanzo quickly lit a cigarette, his mind piecing together the few pieces of the puzzle he had. Several were still missing, but he had enough to make one accurate guess. _Damn that girl! I bet she was the cause of the power surge! _And sadly, there was only one way to be sure…

"We have to go help her!" Goku cried, looking very upset.

"Ch." _Well, at least the monkey took care of that part. _He thought as he checked his gun and ammo. Once assured, he stood and gave the three of them a look.

They knew the look well.

So breakfast was quickly paid for and after a bit of questioning, they were all piled into the jeep and heading towards the mountain to locate a certain dark-haired girl.

_**(With Ren)**_

"Damn you're ugly!" Ren yelled as she kicked another demon in the gut, making him double over in pain. "I'm no plastic surgeon but this will help! Just hold still!" Quickly channeling her energy to form a blade, she cut his head off with a clean swipe. Spinning, she caught another in the face with her heel and forced him to face plant. A snap echoed through the clearing and Ren moved on from the corpse, knowing she had succeeded in breaking his neck without looking. But she didn't want to look, didn't want to see what she was being forced to do in order to survive.

Shamira finished off the last of their current foes with an agile swing from her claws, slicing the artery. Ren quietly returned her channeler to it's holster and continued on the path, even though she was already tired from the long trek up here. She was proud of herself though, she had covered a good amount of distance and had entered the woods at the base of the mountain.

_Should take a break soon. _She thought, wiping at her forehead to keep the sweat from running into her eyes. _It's got to be around noon by now. _A shrill cry to her left made her jump and spin, quickly pulling the gun from its hiding place. Nothing. And the cry had been a bit farther away to be any immediate danger.

At least for her.

Switching the gun for her channeler, she ran off as quietly as she could towards the sound with Shamira hot on her heels. Hiding in the underbrush, she peeked through to investigate the scene before diving in.

An older man was clutching two children, a boy and a girl, protectively to his chest as he watched the monsters surrounding them. _Evil spirits. They thirst for blood. _Came the whisper on the wind.

One of the creatures launched forward and Ren's heart slammed into her throat. "NO!" She shouted, seeing that it was aiming for the little girl who could be no older than four…

Her whip caught the monster and dragged it back from it's intended victim. Now out in the open, she counted five evil spirits in total and cursed her luck to hell. Observing her enemy, she noted that these were different. Weaker then the one sent to kill her the night before. Ren grimaced and choked back a gag as she looked at the flesh of the giant humanoid beings that appeared to either be severely burned or perhaps decaying. The one she had caught with her whip was still howling in pain as its arm dissolved from overexposure to her energy.

Adrenaline pumped into her veins as she summoned up the whip again, hoping to keep as much distance as she could from the disgusting beings before her. _I've got to be faster then them… _Ren thought as she watched them shift into an attack pattern around her. _As long as I'm faster then them I'll get out of this._

Something snapped and the fight began. Ren dodged quickly to the left, sending her whip after the evil spirit she had already injured. Luck was on her side again, like the fickle bitch it was, as the whip wrapped around it's neck. Pulling, she begged whoever would listen in heaven that it's head would sever or that it only needed a few seconds to be purified. Both seemed to prove true as the thing disappeared in a swirl of blackened energy.

Ducking, she rolled away from the claws of another. Once she was back on her feet, she twisted and struck two more. One in the head, which proved fatal, and another in the stomach. Injured, the infuriated creature lunged forward trying to get at her neck but she bent backwards so that the claws breezed by her ear. Pressing the end of the channeler to its chest, she quickly fired of a blast. Her foe dropped dead and Ren could feel the fire burning through her veins as her mind raced.

She was honestly fighting for not only her life (and on instinct alone!)but the lives of three other people. Her hands began to tremble lightly as that thought weighed on her mind, but she still turned to focus on the last two evil spirits that Shamira had been distracting. Her partner was quite skilled it seemed, as both their enemies were heavily injured.

_Two more, Ren. _She told herself. _Two more and this little nightmare within a nightmare will be over!_

Picking the one to the right, she sent a charge from her channeler and mentally cheered when it hit home.

But she had made a minor miscalculation, that being that the one surviving monster used that small gap in time and it's friends death to lunge at her. _Not quick enough! _Her mind screamed as she raised the channeler, knowing it was much to late to retaliate. Shamira growled and jumped but they both knew her partner wouldn't make it in time to prevent bloodshed. Ren felt her footing slip and she began to fall backwards, her free hand flying out in hopes of breaking her fall.

A single shot echoed through the clearing and the evil spirit let out a pained cry as it dissolved.

Landing with a grunt on her backside, Ren stared wide-eyed at the place the creature had once occupied.

"Ren-san! Are you alright?!" Numbly, she forced her gaze towards the green jeep that fishtailed into the clearing and on the four occupants that were currently getting out.

"Wha..?" She managed as Hakkai crouched before her, effectively scanning for any injuries. Vaguely, she noticed Gojyo and Goku looking around for more monsters.

Violet eyes were focused on her again and she shuddered before looking back at Hakkai.

The green-eyed man chuckled. "I asked if you were alright though it appears you are going into a bit of shock.(1)" He gave a sigh. "I'm glad you're alright."

"What were ya thinking coming up here by yourself, doll?" Gojyo asked as he leaned against that strange weapon he had used earlier.

Maybe it was the shock, but her mind focused in on that and clung to it like a drowning rat would a board. "What is that?"

Gojyo raised an eyebrow and looked down at the weapon. "This? This is my shakujo." A sly grin spread across his face. "Impressive isn't it? But that's not the only impressive thing I have!(2)" Then he was on the ground, clutching his head. "Stupid monk! What did ya do that for?!"

"Quit harassing her." The blonde growled and Ren wondered where the fan had disappeared to or where it had even come from in the first place.

Shuffling off to her side made her look over where the old man and the two children were. He looked at her and smiled even as the children clung to him fearfully. "Thank you so much." He said once he saw that he had her attention.

Pushing herself to her feet, she walked over and smiled. "I'm just glad the three of you are alright." She could still sense their fear.

_Help them. Comfort them. _The wind whispered in her ear as it ruffled her hair.

Reaching out, she helped the old man to his feet but as she was doing so he gasped. His eyes were locked onto the symbols on her wrists. "My lady…" He whispered and gave her a shaky bow as soon as he was back on his feet. His eyes held nothing but pure awe as he looked at her. Ren bit her lip, sensing that he was no longer afraid and that she had a lot of eyes focused on her.

"You don't have to call me that… I don't deserve that kind of respect…" She said quietly as she shifted her gaze over to Shamira, who had perched herself in a smaller form on a fallen tree.

"You deserve all the respect I can give! For over two decades everyone thought your kind was lost forever! I never thought I would ever have the honor to meet another!"

Ren's eyes snapped back to look at him. "Another? You've met someone else like me?"

"Aye. But it was long ago. I was still young then and a warrior myself." He smiled as he hugged the children. "Now all I am is a woodsman who takes care of his orphaned grandchildren. My name is Takuto and these are my grandchildren Yuri and Setsuna."

She rubbed at her wrist nervously. "I'm Ren."

Suddenly her vision was filled with curious gold eyes. "What does he mean by 'your kind', Ren-chan?" Goku asked as she jumped back, startled. Hakkai placed a steadying hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"I'm curious of that myself, Ren-san. You appear to be human but looks are deceiving."

Ren gave him a flat look. "I'm not a demon if that's what you are insinuating." Biting her lip, indecision clouding her as to what to tell them. She could tell them it was none of their business or she could inform them so to speak. Then an idea came to her.

Slowly, she turned her wrists so that the markings of the Exorcists was clear to them and she got mixed reactions.

Goku looked confused and took a hold of her wrists to peer at them closer. "I think I've seen these before but I can't remember where…" He whispered to himself.

Gojyo raised an eyebrow. "Nice tattoos. Where'd ya get them done at?"

Hakkai gasped, a hand flying to his mouth.

Sanzo's eyes widened and he actually took a small step backwards.

The healer was the first to recover somewhat. "Those aren't tattoos Gojyo." He said, looking at her with still shocked and slightly respectful eyes. "I've only every heard stories and read a few books on them, but I can tell those are the symbolic markings of an Exorcist. By all rights, she's a holy person."

"How are you an Exorcist?" Sanzo asked, his voice hard. "The massacre of the Exorcists happened over twenty-five years ago and you can't be older then twenty-two!"

"You're right there, I'm only twenty-one." Ren said, fidgeting under his intense stare. "It's…a long story…."

"Then please," Takuto cut in, "come with my grandchildren and I to our home. It's not far and I can at least give you something to eat to repay you for saving us."

"Yay!" Goku shouted, pumping his fist in the air before running after their guide. Takuto had merely chuckled as he slowly led the group along. Ren didn't dare look at Sanzo once, remembering the time at the inn when she had done so. He was familiar. But she had only just arrived in this world the day before and couldn't have met him. It couldn't be possible, right?

Sanzo, on the other hand, was gazing at the back of her head as they walked. He was towards the end of the group, smoking as they moved through the undergrowth. He was doing something he hadn't done in a while, at least not something he did except on rainy nights.

He was remembering. Trying to place where he could have seen her before.

A growl of annoyance almost escaped his lips as he met a block of sorts, the memories too hazy for him to really gain any information from. For some reason, he could rarely recall things from the time before he was ten.

Oh sure, he could remember days of training clearly. He also recalled when he had inquired about his only friend and her mother. But anything else… As Sanzo flicked the ashes from his cancer stick, he began to wonder if perhaps he wasn't under some sort of memory spell.

As a Sanzo priest, he had seen his share. He also knew the symptoms. Disjointed or extremely blurry memories. Missing large gaps of time. Not being able to remember as far back as would be considered normal.

How the hell did he not notice before?!

His pace slowed until he was at the very back of their group as he pondered the possibility. His eyes wandered to the scenery. But who would have cast the spell?

_First things first, figure out what part of your life the caster didn't want you to remember. _Sanzo said as he went back over his memories. From age ten and back so it was something from his childhood. Then he vaguely remembered the dream he had had two nights ago and nearly dropped his cigarette in shock.

His childhood friend, the caster did not want Sanzo who was then named Kouryuu to remember her in any sort of vast detail. _But why? _He could almost hear his younger self ask him that and it surprised him how much it hurt.

It hurt even more when he thought about who had probably cast it.

_But why?! Why would Master Koumyou do such a thing?! Didn't he know how important she was to me?! _He thought, biting down on his cigarette and ruining it completely. "Ch." He stamped it out and sped up a bit to rejoin the main part of the group. _I'll meditate later. I'll meditate, find the spell and break it_. His sharp eyes focused on Ren as she gave Goku a weary smile. _Then I'll find out why you are so familiar._(3)

Takuto led them to a small cottage settled in a nest of protective trees and quickly made them a meal. Ren had never been more grateful for some food at that moment but she also had never felt as weak as she had been either.

And after the meal came the part she was dreading, she would have to explain everything to the group of men before her. Watching with dispassionate eyes as Takuto ushered his grandchildren into another room she carefully gathered her thoughts so that she wouldn't sound like a bumbling idiot.

"Now Ren-sama, why don't you tell us your story?" Takuto asked after he sat down at the table with them.

She bit her lip, unsure of where to start.

"If you need a topic starter," Sanzo snapped, clearly irritated at the delay, "why don't you explain to us how you are a twenty-one year old Exorcist when _all_ the Exorcists were killed _twenty-five _years ago."

Ren glared at him but took his advise, if you would call it that, anyway. "I would think it was quite simple." She snapped. "I'm not a survivor of the massacre but one of my parents was."

"But it was said that there were no survivors at all, why was this kept secret?" Hakkai asked gently, easing her anger a little.

"You've got me there. I'm really not sure how I can make this all make sense, it hardly does to me and I'm living it!" Taking a sip of the tea Takuto had made her, she decided that maybe she should really start with herself.

"I'm not from here." Ren said in an almost whisper, looking sullenly into her cup. "I'm not from this world."

"You came from a different world?" Gojyo asked, a little skeptical.

Ren nodded. "Yes, just yesterday morning I was minding my own business while walking in Central Park and the next thing I know I'm dragged into this world." She took another sip. "It was in the woods outside of the town that I met Kanzeon the Goddess of Mercy who explained a few things to me."

She didn't notice how the four young men all shared a look at the mention of the goddess.

"She gave me Shamira, the channeler and a few other things as well. She told me what I was and that my mother was a survivor of the massacre. It seems my mother knew of a way to travel between worlds and escaped to the place I call home. Kanzeon told me that my mother moved on instead of seeking revenge, that she tried to start over by marrying my father and having me." Ren set the glass down.

"Other then that, I have just as much facts as you do. I'm lost in a strange world, with demons and all sorts of other creatures trying to kill me. I have…no idea what I'm supposed to do or why I was even brought here in the first place. Or for what for that matter."

The silence that followed was ominous and dark, clearly foreshadowing to them that for all intents and purposes that not all the reason Ren was here were good.

Shivering, Ren then turned to Takuto. "You said you had met another Exorcist before?"

The old man nodded. "Yes, I traveled with him a long time ago. He was killed in the massacre, actually he was one of the first to die. Kyou tried to fight back and defend his clan when…" He trailed off and none of them needed for him to go on, knowing what happened. "He was my best friend and was as fiery as his element."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Element?"

Takuto seemed surprised. "I guess you were not told of that. Each Exorcist had an element as a sort of guide and most of their spells dealt in that particular one. Kyou's element was fire. He told me that the elements an Exorcist could have were fire, water, earth, wind, light and shadows. He also told me that your personality and spirit had a lot to do with which one chose you, that it was easy to figure one of them out by their element." His smile turned wistful. "Fire symbolizes a passionate soul that cleanses as it destroys. It also means that one would have a vicious temper and a will that could not be bent easily. Exorcists with fire as their element were usually the best fighters and were more into being physical then using magic."

Ren shifted her gaze then as the old man clearly thought of older days. "I'm sorry about your loss." She said quietly, politely.

He snorted. "Kyou would not want me sitting on my ass feeling sorry for myself at his loss. Neither should you. You should-"

"Leave the dead in the past." Ren finished for him, simply because this was a strict belief she held as well. "No matter how much you wish it, they aren't coming back. All you are doing is wasting your life away thinking the 'what ifs' instead of the 'what is'. It's okay to miss them but not to obsess over them. I know." The two shared a smile.

"Exactly. And if you don't mind me asking, which is your element?"

Ren blinked, unsure herself. "I'm not too sure myself."

"Let me rephrase it then. Which element speaks to you? Guides you?"

"Oh. The wind."

The old man raised an eyebrow, impressed. "I thought you were rather unique."

"What do you mean?" Hakkai chimed in finally to the conversation he had been intently listening too.

"Kyou always had a vast respect for his fellow Exorcists that had the wind as their element. I asked him why at one point, his answer was rather interesting." He fetched a fresh pot of tea for them and some biscuits for Goku. "He told me that they were always good people that you could trust with your life." He sighed.

"Wind symbolizes a noble, free spirit. It explains why you immediately jumped to me and my grandchildren's defense." Takuto stated as he pulled apart a biscuit for himself. "Mostly patience but with a horrible wrath if that patience is tested. This element makes Exorcists good with spells and channeling their energy, they are also faster and smarter then many of their colleagues. Exorcists with wind as their element were usually guides."

"Guides to what?" Goku asked around a mouthful of biscuits.

"To whatever a person was looking for. Happiness. A missing person. A place to call home. Anything really." He looked directly at her. "All Exorcists had a strong connection with the other side but you no doubt have a stronger one then even that. Exorcists of the wind were often used as doorways to the spirit world because of their nature, you need to be careful."(4)

"Doorways to the spirit world? Whatever for?" Ren asked, surprised.

"As far as what I was told there exists a lot of power, magic and spiritual power, over there. It's got to be kept and go somewhere after all."

Silence ensued again as Ren pondered over what he had said, but she shook her head. She was up on this mountain for a reason!

"Takuto, you wouldn't happen to know where those monsters are coming from do you? Because there is a source." She paused when she saw him thinking, but she needed to move quicker. "Shamira and I think it's a Summoner."

Both Sanzo's and Takuto's heads snapped up at that, fixing her with intense stares.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Sanzo asked, his tone even despite his stormy expression.

Ren hesitated but the breeze from the open window to her right danced around her. _Summoner. _It whispered into her ears.

"Yes."

Takuto paled. "You must be careful then. Kyou and I faced a Summoner once, we barely survived. They have a Pact Seal somewhere on their bodies, find that and destroy it as fast as you can. Only then do you stand a chance. As for the location, I've noticed they seem to surge from one location. Go straight from this house until you reach a trail, you'll notice its rather new. That's the path the monsters like to take when they leave the mountain so if you head up the mountain I'm sure you will find them. I would advise you to wait until the evening to go though, there is a lull in activity then. Feel free to wait here, I'm sure you can use the peace while you can."

He gave them full access to his house and his belongings, laughing as he watched Goku play with his two grandchildren outside. Hakkai and Gojyo ended up playing cards while Ren curled up on the couch in the conjoined living room, determined to have a little nap to restore some of her energy that she had lost. Shamira joined her, draping herself over her partner's hip.

Sanzo on the other hand, tuned out the noise outside in order to meditate. With one last look at the young woman asleep on the couch, he closed his eyes and focused. He'd find the charm and obliterate it just for inconveniencing him, then he'd figure out just why it had been placed there and why the Exorcist was so damn familiar.

_To be continued…_

**AN: **Phew, done! At least this chapter. My fight scenes suck, don't they? Ahem. For those of you going "Why hasn't he figured it out yet?!", well it's simple. He only remembers that he had a female friend, that's it! No details so it's not clicking in his mind that it could be Ren. Trust me, he will no doubt wish to smack himself silly when he does figure it out. But it seems Ren might also have a memory spell, eh? See ya next chapter!

(1) Come on, we all knew she would go into shock eventually. Being under stress, having a major adrenaline rush and coming that close to dying? It was bound to happen. As for you who might not know what shock is, it's basically your mind shuts down. Your body still functions but your mind won't register certain things like pain and someone suffering from shock tends to go numb.

(2) You also knew this was coming. And if you don't get what he's saying here you deserve to get hit. Hard. With Sanzo's harisen. By Sanzo himself. Otherwise you know what he was hinting at.

(3) I was honestly going to end the chapter there but then the title wouldn't make sense. Wouldn't that have been a good cliffy? And why would Koumyou do that to Sanzo? Well, that's for later….

(4) Remember when Nii was talking about how Ren was full of magic and didn't know it? This is why. It's not her own power but she has access to it. Cool, huh?


End file.
